The risks of cosmetic treatmentsUnderstanding the risks

Discuss anaesthetic side effects with your surgeon

Your surgeon or clinic should provide a full explanation of the general risks of surgery and any particular risks associated with your state of health. See our interactive body for basic information about the specific risks of each option.

Anaesthetic

Before an operation your anaesthetist should discuss with you any side effects the anaesthetic may have, and how safe it is. They should discuss your preferences and help you decide what would be best for you. The Royal College of Anaesthetists has a useful guide to understanding the risks of general anaesthetic.

Sometimes surgeons and anaesthetists may avoid general anaesthetic by using a local anaesthetic and a sedative. Make sure you tell the anaesthetist if you have an existing medical condition. You should talk to your GP before the operation if you are going to have a general anaesthetic.

Infection

Infection may appear in the form of pain, swelling, redness or fever. If you suspect that you have an infection after surgery you must contact your doctor or surgeon immediately.

In some cases, if you have an infection you may need to have further surgery, for example to remove breast implants.

Scars

Just like any operation that involves cutting into your skin, cosmetic surgery will leave permanent scars. These may be quite noticeable and inflamed at first but usually the scar tissue will improve and the redness will fade over time, unless you have a tendency (often inherited) to bulky scars. Fading may take weeks, months or even longer, depending on the location and extent of the incision.

Sometimes the surgeon may advise you to stop smoking before the operation to avoid problems with scarring.

One of the risks of having breast implants is a condition called capsular contraction. This occurs when the scar tissue shrinks around your implant so it feels hard. It can be painful and you may have to have your implants removed. The risk is fairly small. If you think that this has happened to you, you should contact your doctor or surgeon.

Aftercare

Before your surgery the surgeon should talk to you about any instructions you’ll need to follow, the recovery time and the aftercare procedures.

The success of your operation may depend on following the pre-surgery regime and the aftercare advice, so you must make sure that you understand it. Don’t treat it lightly – if your surgeon says you need to take two weeks off work, make sure you can book the time off. Your hospital, clinic or surgeon should give you written information to take away with you after the consultation so that you can refer back to it later.